Automobile-indicator.



J. HOAKER &w. I. BANKS. AUTOMOBILE INDICATOR.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 3, 1910.

1 Q25 398 I Patented May 7, 1912.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

COLUMBIA PLANOURAPH c0., WASHINGTON, I). c.

.J. HOAKER &-W. I. BANKS.

Patented May 7, 1912.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

ESSES: 7 M HINVENTORS y? p 0 I canker.

COLUMIM PLANOGRAPH CO-,WASHINGTON. D. c.

E STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN HOAKER AND WILLIAM I. BANKS, OF 'SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS.

AUTOMOBILE-INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 7, 1912.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, JOHN HOAKER and lVILLIAM I. BANKS, citizens of the United States, residing at San Antonio, in the county of Bexar and State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improve ments in Automobile-Indicators, of which the following is a specification.

Our invention relates to new and useful improvements in automobile indicators.

Its object is to provide an indicator for automobiles that will display the license number, and will indicate in what State the license is issued.

A further object is to place the number upon a transparent plate which will be illuminated at night from the rear.

Finally, the object of this invention is to provide a device of the character described that will be strong, durable, simple and efficient, and comparatively easy to construct, and also one that will not be likely to get out of working order.

lVith these and various other objects in view, our invention has relation to certain novel features of operation and construction, an example of which is described in thefollowing specifications and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front view of the herein described indicator. Fig. 2 is a. transverse vertical sectional view taken on the line aa-m of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a top view of an attachment to the receptacle through which electric wires or a gas tube may be introduced into the casing of the indicator. Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line y-y of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a perspective view showing the inner face of the indicator door.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference indicate similar parts in all the figures, the numeral 1 denotes an elongated metallic casing which may be attached by any suitable means to the rear of an automobile. Upon the top of this casing, and communicating therewith, is mounted an auxiliary cylin drical casing 2, provided at its front with a bulls eye, or a convex disk 3 of colored glass, preferably red, forming a danger signal. The auxiliary cylindrical casing 2 is provided upon its top with a ventilating duct 4, upon which duct is positioned a cover 5, to prevent the entrance of rain or dirt.

The numeral 6 indicates an oil lamp mounted on the lower portion of the casing 1 upon a hollow screw-threaded plug 7 rigid upon the floor of the casing. This plug is also adapted to receive the device illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, consisting of a tube 8, provided with an internally threaded collar 9, the threads of which are adapted to engage those of the plug 7. If the automobile carries an electric battery, the wires therefrom may be introduced into the casing through the tube 8, where they may be connected with an incandescent lamp when the same is used in place of the oil lamp. If the automobile carries an acetylene gas generator, a tube may be extended from said generator through the tube 8 of the casing, within which may be placed a suitable acetylene gas burner.

The inner surface of the rear wall of the casing will preferably be highly polished, so that the rays of light falling thereupon will be reflected. A door is provided to the front wall of the casing, which consists of a frame 11, having a hinged attachment to the casing at its lower edge. This frame is adapted to receive a plate of glass 12, which carries the number of the automobile. This number is adapted to appear within a large rectangular central aperture provided in the frame" 11. At each side of this aperture is provided a vertical tier of small compartments 13, each of which is adapted to receive an opaque plate 14, provided with a flat spring 15 upon its rear surface. The glass plate 12 is provided at each side of the number with a plurality of small colored rectangles 16, each of which is adapted to occupy one of the compartments 13 when the glass is positioned in its frame. The purpose of these small colored rectangles and of the opaque shields 14 is explained in full hereinafter.

The numeral 17 denotes a small thumb screw mounted in the casing directly above the door thereof, and adapted to be clamped down upon the upper part of the frame as illustrated in Fig. 2.

The numeral 18 is applied to a pair of clamping screws, which are mounted in the frame 11, and bear upon the plate 12 to hold it firmly in place and prevent rattling. A coiled spring 19 has one of its extremities secured to the lower portion of the frame 11, and its other extremity attached to the rear portion of the casing. This spring is adapted to hold the door of the casing closed when the screw 17 V is not made tight, and it is also adapted to mitigate the force with which the door swings open. The glass plate 12 is intended to be slipped into its frame from the top thereof. The top portion of the frame has the form of a latch 20 hinged at one extremity and adapted to swing down upon the plate when the latter is in place, preventing its removal. In or der to prevent the latch 20 from being opened and the plate from being removed, the latch may be sealed, as shown in Fig. 5, the seal being denoted by the numeral 21. This seal may be put on by the State or county ofiicer who would be the only person to have authority to remove the seal. This will eliminate the possibility of any automobilist tampering with his license number or possibly substituting some other number for that which is given him by the authorities.

At the rear of the casing 1 is provided a compartment 22, sufiiciently large to receive an extra glass plate 23, which will be provided with a proper numeral and colors to permit of its being substituted for the plate 12 in case the latter is broken. A pair of clamping screws 24 are mounted in the wall of the compartment 22 and are adapted to bear upon the plate 23 to hold the same firmly against the casing and prevent its rattling.

The above described indicator is particularly well adapted for use upon automobiles, the owners of which find it necessary to travel in several States. The license numbers in the different States will be distinguished from each other by a different color. The automobilist when traveling in his home State will not be required to remove any of the plates 14 from the compartments 13, so that none of the colored rectangles 16 will be visible. If, however, he is traveling in a State which requires a red color to be shown, he will remove the plates 14: from in front of the rectangles 16 which are colored red.

If it be necessary to travel in still another I State which requires a yellow color to be shown on the license number, the automobilist will remove the plates 14L from in front of the yellow rectangles, etc. It thus becomes apparent that the indicator herein described and shown in the accompanying drawing is adapted to indicate the license number of five different States. There would be very small probability that any automobilist would find it necessary to travel in a greater number of States than this. However it would be possible to have difierent colored rectangles at each side of the license number, the diiferent States being indicated by uncovering only one reetangle. e thus have an automobile indicator adapted to burn either oil, gas or electricity, and adapted to indicate the license number of all the States in which the vehicle might possibly be used, and we have the further advantage of sealing the number plate in such a manner that it could not be tampered with without the State oflicials becoming aware that such was the case.

What we claim is:

In an automobile indicator, the combination with a casing, of a source of light therewithin, a hinged door in the casing, provided with a plurality of col'npartnients at each end, a transparent numeral plate for which the door forms a frame, colored glass rectangles being provided upon said plate and adapted to register with said compartments, and opaque shields adapted to be removably placed in said compartments in front of the colored rectangles of the glass plate.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN HOAKER. TVILLIAM I. BANKS.

Witnesses D. FRED VORTH, MARTIN J. MEOLD.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. G. 

